Tuesday Apple Rumors: iPhone 5S to Get 150Mbps LTE-A Support

by Christopher Freeburn | July 2, 2013 12:31 pm

[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Super Fast: The next iPhone may support wireless data connections twice[3] as fast as current Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, according to The Korea Times. An unnamed source at SK Telecom says that Apple (AAPL[4]) is discussing the iPhone’s use of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology on the carrier’s network and could feature the high-speed connectivity in its next iPhone. Equipment using the LTE-A standard is capable of downloading data at a rate of up to 150 megabits per second. Standard LTE technology permits downloads at up to 75 Mbps. The only smartphone currently using LTE-A technology on SK Telecom’s network is Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. The iPhone 5S could used new Qualcomm (QCOM[5]) chips to provide LTE-A connectivity on worldwide networks.

Sun Power: Apple’s latest data center in Nevada will be powered by a massive solar farm[6], the Wall Street Journal notes. The company is building solar arrays in Washoe County, Nevada, that will generate up to 20 megawatts of electricity. The solar farm is being built under a partnership with NV Energy (NVE[7]) and SunPower (SPWR[8]). The 137-acre solar farm will produce energy to run Apple’s new data center in Reno, which is expected to employ 35 people when it is completed. Apple has not revealed how much it is spending on the data center and solar farm. However, it has invested at least $1 billion in similar projects elsewhere. Apple says it plans to use renewable energy to power all of its data centers.

No Reason Given: French authorities have raided the offices[9] of Apple and some of its distributors, PC World notes. The raids were part of an investigation by the Autorité de la Concurrence, which regulates business competition in France. The agency has not said why Apple is being investigated. Investigations by the Autorité de la Concurrence usually take about 18 months. Last year, Apple was sued in France by eBizcuss, a reseller, who claimed that Apple demanded it comply with store decoration and staff training rules and promote Apple merchandise or lose wholesale discounts.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[10] stories.